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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · branch · current · court · drill · pitch · stock · last

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. current — happening now
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stock — goods
  6. current — of water
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitch — completely
  9. last — final
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. last — to go on
  12. current — electric
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. drill — army training
  15. stock — shares
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. last — finally
  18. court — for sport
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. branch — a division
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. drill — a practice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com